1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image data file management system and method for managing image data picked up by an inspection apparatus or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, as a defect inspection apparatus for a semiconductor wafer or the like, an apparatus which picks up an image of a wafer plane by an image pickup section, applies image processing to a picked-up image by a computer in order to extract a defect and records image data subjected to image processing in a storage section has been put into practical use.
Further, in such defect inspection apparatus, since the quantity of data processed in accordance with each image processing becomes very large, there has been considered that an image server having a backup function is connected and an image data file is recorded on the image server side.
In the method for recording the image data file based on the conventional idea, however, since the image data in the storage section of the defect inspection apparatus is stored in a backup section on the image server side as it is, a large storage capacity is required on the server side, which becomes economically disadvantageous. Furthermore, since management of the image data file stored on the server side is not taken into consideration, there is a problem that the backup data is rarely utilized advantageously.